Men Want More Condom Sizes

When offered more than the usual range of options, many men seek
a more customized fit, according to a study published in July in
the journal Sexual Health. Only about 1 in 7 men go with the
standard sizes offered in the United States.

However, one of the study co-authors is the CEO of the company
that sold the condoms, and the study was based on the first
1,000 men who bought the company's condoms on the Internet, so it
may be hard to draw conclusions about the preferences of the
general population.

Range of sizes

Even so, a recent study found that the average penis size is about 5.56 inches (14.12
centimeters), but there is considerable variability — with the
smallest penis in that study measuring 1.6 inches (4 cm) and the
largest sizing up at 10.3 inches (26.2 cm). [7 Wild Facts About the Penis]

By contrast, most condoms sold in the United States average 7
inches (17.7 cm) long, are a few inches bigger than the average
penis and come in just a few standardized sizes. The biggest
standard condoms are 8.32 inches (21 cm) long.

Because condoms are considered medical devices, they must go
through rigorous, standardized testing — typically involving a
balloon test where they are filled with water or air until they
burst. The organizations that conduct the testing only allow
narrow size ranges.

However, several studies have reported that up to half of men
find condoms to be too long, too short, too loose or too tight.
Poorly fitting condoms can lead to discomfort,
slippage and breakage during sex, all of which reduce condom
effectiveness. Condoms have a failure rate of about 15 percent
with typical use.

Diversity abounds

Between 2011 and 2012, TheyFit LLC, a condom company, launched an
array of condoms in 95 different sizes, which vary in length and
width, to men throughout the European Union.

"The smallest one looks a bit like a pinky finger, and the biggest one looks a bit
like a forearm," said TheyFit's chief operating officer Joe
Nelson.

Of the first 1,000 packets sold, 83 of the 95 sizes were
purchased, including every length and width available. The
average length purchased was about 5.2 inches (13.2 cm), Nelson
said.

Only about 13 percent of the condoms bought fell within the
ranges that are allowed by testing organizations. However, the
men who bought the condoms explicitly sought customized sizes, so
perhaps these men were more likely in the first place to find
regular condoms problematic than the average man.

However, the team believes the research reflects the preferences
of the general population, because they explicitly didn't market
the condoms to any particular penis size, Nelson said.

"It's not just these guys who like to think they need a Magnum or
an XL, it's also these smaller guys," Nelson told LiveScience.

The findings suggest that at least some men, when given the
option, would prefer more sizes than are currently available in
the United States.